Imran Khan to take oath as prime minister on Aug. 11

Pakistani men sit near a poster of Pakistan’s cricketer-turned-politician and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan in Islamabad on Monday. (AFP)

Arab News

July 30, 2018

Imran’s parrty, PTI, was asked to form a government in the center after it won the most number of seats in the July 25 general elections.

PTI also won a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and emerged as a strong runner-up in Punjab

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party Chairman Imran Khan said on Monday that he will be taking oath as prime minister of Pakistan on Aug. 11, reported Radio Pakistan.

The party was asked to form a government in the center after it won the most number of seats in the July 25 general elections. PTI also won a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and emerged as a strong runner-up in Punjab.

The PTI chief is currently actively engaged in forging alliances to form a coalition government in the center, Punjab, and Balochistan.

Talking to the newly elected members of KP Assembly, the prime minister-in-waiting said his nominated choice for the position of chief minister KP would be a “decision taken in the best interest of the people.”

He added that alleviation of poverty from interior Sindh is a top priority for the PTI government.

On Sunday, while speaking to the media outside Khan’s Bani Gala residence, PTI leader Naeemul Haq confirmed the PTI chief would be taking oath as prime minister before Aug. 14.

He also said that a possible venue for the oath-taking ceremony could be D-Chowk — a very important junction in Islamabad, leading up to the Presidency, the Prime Minister’s House, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and the Parliament.

“Imran Khan would prefer a people’s ceremony of oath-taking where thousands can watch him take oath as prime minister of Pakistan.”

In August 2014, to protest against alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections, the PTI started a long march ending with a sit-in at D-Chowk. After reaching Islamabad, the protesters insisted on staying at D-Chowk until their demands were met. The sit-in lasted for 126 days.

“Perhaps the D-Chowk area may be the right place to do it (the oath-taking ceremony). Let’s hope so. Will keep on updating on this,” Haq reiterated in a statement released on social media.

All mainstream political parties have also agreed to attend the oath-taking ceremony, which is perceived as a “positive step,” said Haq.

According to the official results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PTI has emerged as the single largest political party in the National Assembly with 116 members.

“Imran Khan (is) working day and night to create the best possible team to run the country under a PTI government. The challenges of the economy, foreign policy, development, poverty, inflation (and) environment must be met and resolved on a priority basis. Inshallah the PTI govt will do it,” Haq said in his statement on social media.

PTI also won a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and emerged as a strong runner-up in Punjab.